Specifying Sustainable Concrete to

BS 8500

Paul Gregory
Structural Engineer
MSc MBA CEng MICE MIStructE

Guidance for concrete

specification including:
• Reduction of ECO2
• Use of recycled content
• Responsible sourcing
• Material efficiency

www.concretecentre.com/
publications

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Sustainability
Sustainable development:
'development which meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own
needs'

Social Environmental

Economic

Performance benefits of concrete

Social Economic Environmental

Fire
  
Acoustics
  
Flooding
  
Robustness
  
Thermal Mass
   ….structural
Durability performance
  
Full text version of this table provided in : www.concretecentre.com “Concrete Credentials” taken as read

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 Thermal mass to reduce OpCO2
• Concrete has very useful role in energy efficient design strategies
• Use of thermal mass and night-time cooling to reduce energy loads
necessary for heating and cooling

• Concrete on the inside

• Exposed soffit with night time ventilation to enhance passive
cooling
• Exposed (or painted concrete) surface optimises thermal mass
effect

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Whole life CO2
• Operational CO2 + Embodied CO2
(Ratio depends on building type and life span)

EU carbon reduction plan:

20% cut in emissions by 2020 compared to 1990

ECO2 Energy Performance of Buildings

Directive (EPBD)

OpCO2 By 2020 all new buildings are ‘nearly zero-

energy’

UK - Part L1A (2013) and SAP

Embodied CO2

Research by Arup

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 Specifying concrete to BS8500

Exposure classification

XC: Corrosion induced by carbonation

XD: Corrosion induced by chlorides

XS: Corrosion induced by chlorides from sea

XF: Freeze-thaw attack

AC: Chemical attack

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 Exposure classification

XC: Corrosion induced by carbonation

XD: Corrosion induced by chlorides

XS: Corrosion induced by chlorides from sea

XF: Freeze-thaw attack

AC: Chemical attack

Exposure classification

XC1: Dry or permanently wet

XC: Corrosion induced by carbonation XC2: Wet, rarely dry
XC3: Moderate humidity
XC4: Cyclic wet and dry
XD: Corrosion induced by chlorides

XS: Corrosion induced by chlorides from sea

XF: Freeze-thaw attack

AC: Chemical attack

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 Exposure classification

XC: Corrosion induced by carbonation

XD1: Moderate humidity
XD: Corrosion induced by chlorides XD2: Wet, rarely dry
XD3: Cyclic wet and dry

XS: Corrosion induced by chlorides from sea

XF: Freeze-thaw attack

AC: Chemical attack

Exposure classification

XC: Corrosion induced by carbonation

XD: Corrosion induced by chlorides

XS: Corrosion induced by chlorides from sea
XF: Freeze-thaw attack
XS1: Exposed to airborne salt
XS2: Permanently submerged
XS3: Tidal, splash and spray
zones

AC: Chemical attack

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 Exposure classification

XC: Corrosion induced by carbonation

XD: Corrosion induced by chlorides

XF1: Moderate water saturation

XS: Corrosion induced by chlorides from sea (no de-icing agent)
XF2: Moderate water saturation
(de-icing agent)
XF: Freeze-thaw attack XF3: High water saturation,
(no de-icing agent)
XF4: High water saturation
AC: Chemical attack (de-icing agent)

Exposure classification

XC: Corrosion induced by carbonation

XD: Corrosion induced by chlorides

XS: Corrosion induced by chlorides from sea

XF: Freeze-thaw attack

AC: Chemical attack

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Methods of Specifying Concrete
BS 8500-1: 2015

a) Designated concrete

b) Designed concrete

c) Prescribed concrete

d) Standardized prescribed concrete

e) Proprietary concrete

Designated Concretes
Simple and reliable form of specification, widely used.
Specified by giving the designated name:
• FND
• GEN
• RC
• PAV

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 Designated Concretes
Basic specification requirements
• Concrete designation
• Max. aggregate size
• Consistence class

Designated Concretes
Basic specification requirements
• Concrete designation
• Max. aggregate size
• Consistence class
Other?
• Restriction / relaxation of cement type
• Special aggregate requirements

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Designated Concrete
BS 8500-2: 2015 (Table 5)

Designed Concretes
• Permits flexibility
• Suitable for most applications
• Strength, allowable cement types; water/cement ratios; use of
recycled or secondary aggregates are specified

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 Designed Concrete
Basic Specification Requirements
• Strength class
• Max. W/C ratio
• Cement type and min. content
• Max. aggregate size
• Consistence class
• Chloride class
• Density class

Designed Concrete
Additional Specification Options
• Aggregate type, including use of recycled aggregate
• Fibres if used
• Air entrainment
• Temperature of the fresh concrete
• Heat development during hydration

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Concrete constituents
Air 1.5%

Cement 10%

Water 18.5%

Fine Aggregate
(sand) 25%

Course
aggregate
(stone/gravel)
45%

Approx. proportions of
A typical concrete mix
Reinforcement Admixture

Specifying concrete - tips

1. Specify low carbon cements

• Portland cement contributes the
majority of ECO2 to concrete
• Carbon footprint of cement production
has reduced by 55% since 1990.
• Use of cement replacements can reduce
ECO2 further eg: GGBS, fly ash

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 Concrete mix – ECO2 of constituents

Ref: Table 5: Embodied CO2 for main constituents of reinforced concrete

Specifying Sustainable Concrete, The Concrete Centre, 2017

Define cements and combinations

Fly ash
GGBS

GGBS
Fly ash

Approx. gen mix by volume Based on BS 8500-1

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 Embodied CO2 of concrete

40% less CO2 than CEM I

Strength Development
160
90 day
140

28 day
120
Strength ratio, 28 days = 100

7 day
100

CEM I Same strength

3 day
80
at 3 days at 28 days
60
CEM I
CIIA-D 8% silica fume + SP
40 CIIA-L 15% limestone
CIIB-V 30% fly ash
CIIIA 50% ggbs
CIIIB 70% ggbs
70% GGBS and 20 CIVB-V 50% fly ash

30% FA 0

at 3 days 1 10 100
Age, days

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 Sustainability specification tips
for cement in concrete
1. Generally <40% GGBS for concrete soffits (unless programme
can accommodate)

2. Maximise cementitious additions in footings or other

locations where striking times are less critical. (e.g. ICF
construction)

3. Allow some flexibility of % content for contractor to tailor

mix to suit site conditions

Specifying Concrete - tips

2. Consider recycled or secondary aggregates

(if available locally or

using low carbon transport)

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 Low carbon natural aggregates

• Inherently low carbon

• Mostly naturally occurring, local
resource
• Potential self-sufficiency in UK
aggregates for many thousands of years
• Recycled aggregates transported more
than 15km by road are likely to have
higher ECO2 content than local primary
aggregates

Use of recycled aggregates

• Recycled aggregates (RA) are already efficiently used e.g. as hardcore or in
landscaping
• Very little (effectively none) goes into landfill
• Approx. a third of all aggregate in UK is recycled or secondary aggregate
(three times more than the European average)
• Consistency of supply and source material are necessary for use in concrete
• Testing regimes for quality control is more rigorous than for natural/primary
aggregates
as brown roofs

Laban centre brown roof

Dusty Gedge photography in gabions to create landscape

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Coarse crushed concrete aggregate (CCA)
Crushed concrete used as aggregate: a form of RA with maximum
5% masonry content
• Fewer restrictions on use in concrete than RA
• Up to 20% is permitted to be supplied in ‘Designated’
reinforced concrete
• 100% coarse CCA possible in:
• Lower grade concretes (GEN0, GEN1, GEN2, GEN3)
• Strength classes up to C40/50 in exposure classes
X0, XC1, XC2, XC3,XC4, XF1 & DC-1 (but are rarely
supplied)
An in-situ crusher producing CCA
(From NF45 The use of recycled All RA tend to require more cement, change the mix
materials in residential NHBC
Foundation) relationships and add an element of risk

Secondary aggregates
Derived from by-products of other quarrying operations or
industrial processes
• Recognised secondary aggregates available for concrete
include:
• China clay waste (known as stent aggregate, or granite aggregate
and sands)
• Fly ash (lightweight aggregate)
• Air cooled blast-furnace slag aggregate

• Typically greater % in concrete possible than RA. Use

depends upon properties of the aggregate.

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Sustainable concrete
specification tips for aggregates
1. Consider recycled or secondary aggregates, depending on:

• Availability
• Type of aggregate
• Use of concrete
• Local supply or low carbon transportation

• Don’t rule out primary (virgin aggregates)

Specifying Concrete - tips

3. Specify responsible sourced concrete (BES 6001)

• Concrete is the leading construction

material for responsible sourcing
• Around 90% all concrete production
is BES 6001 accredited

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2015 Publications

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2016 Publications

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Concrete is a local material
• Local manufacture and locally sourced raw materials
• Average delivery distance of ready-mixed concrete is less than 12km

Many quarries have on-site rail terminals

enabling direct access to the rail network.

Sustainable concrete
summary specification tips

When using BS 8500:

1. Specify low carbon cements

2. Consider recycled or secondary aggregates

(if available locally or using low carbon transport)

3. Specify responsible sourced concrete (BES 6001)

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 Thank you
pgregory@concretecentre.com

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